Drinkers and landlords at three pubs across Wales have taken on a challenge to help Wales cut its carbon footprint.

Drinkers and landlords at three pubs across Wales have taken on a challenge to help Wales cut its carbon footprint.

The Castle Inn in Caldicot, The Grove in St David’s and The Turf in Wrexham are taking part in the Welsh Assembly Government’s Climate Change Challenge.

Over six months, each of the pubs will be competing to find innovative and exciting ways of reducing their carbon footprint. The challenge will demonstrate that every action individuals and communities make can have a positive impact on reducing Wales’ carbon footprint.

Former Morning Advertiser ‘Welsh Pub of the Year’ The Castle Inn played host to the launch of the challenge, which saw Environment Minister Jane Davidson, Mike Batt, Manager of the Carbon Trust and Helen Northmore, Head of Energy Saving Trust join locals in a Climate Change Night.

Landlady of the Castle Inn Judy Gribble ran a light-bulb amnesty where customers exchanged conventional bulbs for free energy-saving alternatives while an advice station was set up by the Energy Saving Trust. There were also handy giveaways to encourage people to become more eco-friendly.

Jane Davidson, Environment Minister said: "Congratulations to the Castle Inn, The Grove and The Turf for joining the challenge and setting a great example to their communities. It’s a great way of encouraging people to make small changes which together can make a big difference. The Challenge will encourage all of us, from the locals in our three pubs to their suppliers and beyond, to do their bit and help reduce our carbon footprint.”

Judy Gribble said: “It’s a pleasure to be a part of the Climate Change Challenge and represent Caldicot. There’s a great community spirit here, which means collectively we can make a difference and help lower Wales’ carbon footprint.”

Staff and customers at each of the pubs will now be looking at fun ways to reduce their carbon emissions during the challenge and beyond.

Mike Batt, manager of Carbon Trust Wales, who will be monitoring the carbon footprints of the pubs throughout the Challenge said:

“At Carbon Trust Wales, our mission is to help make better business sense of climate change by reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of organisations throughout Wales through best practice. We are delighted to be lending our expertise to this challenge to maximise cost and carbon savings through greater energy efficiency. A challenge that we hope will inspire other landlords and local businesses throughout Wales to follow suit.”

Helen Northmore, Head, Energy Saving Trust who gave advice to drinkers on how they could be greener when they got home from the pub said: “By making a few simple, cheap home improvements, you can save around £340 a year on your energy bills, improve the comfort of your home and help fight climate change. You can save money just by making little changes like only boiling as much water as you need in your.

“The better insulated your home is, the less energy you need to keep it warm – and the more money you'll save. Insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the cheapest, simplest and easiest ways to save energy and money. Around 20% of the heat in the average home is lost through ventilation and draughts. By installing draught proofing you could save around £30 a year on your heating bills. Even simple things like closing your curtains at night can help retain heat.”

Jane Davidson added: "Taking action doesn’t mean radically changing our way of life right now. Simple actions such as turning off electrical items when you don't need them or not running the tap as you clean your teeth all contribute to lowering your carbon footprint".